Chapter 5: Behind the Mask

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach. That's ok though. I'll send a Thanksgiving turkey to Kishimoto's and Kubo's with a sound grenade in it, and when it explodes, I'll send down my specialized SWAT team to scour the mansion and take the rights to the manga, and when they wake up, there will be tearing of clothes and gnashing teeth as they cry out in sorrow by being duped by the great FullofSeoul! AHAHA!

... I may have gone a little overboard on this one.


Right, so this chapter name is called Behind the Mask, and is an OST from the Naruto Road to Ninja Movie OST. Opens when Menma removes his mask in the movie. Here though, it symbolizes Ulquiorra's inner turmoil as he meets friends of old, even as he attempts to hold himself back under an emotionless mask.

Hope you enjoy.

0o0o0

(Hours Before - Konohagakure – Hyuga Compound)

"Aneue-sama, it is well past noon. Please wake up. I know that your team doesn't have a mission today, but it's getting quite late."

Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily, trying to get some semblance of focus from her sleep-induced haze. It wasn't working. Stumbling, she wrestled her way out of her futon and slowly, methodically, began to fold it. By the time the task was finished, she was wide awake, or at least partly so. She quickly ran a comb through her raven hair and turned towards the door.

"Won't you come in, Hanabi? I know you're still waiting." She asked kindly.

There was a short pause, and Hinata's door hesitantly clattered open, revealing another Hyuga. Hyuga Hanabi, youngest daughter to the Clan Head, and Hinata's younger sister. The girl was the splitting image of her mother, so much so that it almost hurt. The newcomer stared down at her feet and twiddled her thumbs nervously, before hesitantly looking at Hinata, who smiled encouragingly.

"Really Hanabi, I don't know why your so distant to your onee-chan. Come here." Hinata said, beckoning with her arm.

The youngest Hyuga shuffled forward, and sat down in seiza in front of Hinata, still looking down unsurely. It was amusing, to be sure. The normally brash and loud Hanabi had suddenly become quiet and nervous in front of her since around three years ago. Hinata smiled again, though each smile never seemed to reach her eyes, and leaned forward to hug Hanabi.

Tell me, what's wrong, Hanabi?"

Hanabi hesitantly brought her hands up and returned the hug. The two lay there for a moment, before Hanabi interrupted, "I'm worried about you, Aneue-sama."

They broke the hug and Hinata frowned slightly, "How many times have I told you to call me onee-chan, or at least –san?"

Completely ignoring her sister, Hanabi plowed on, "You're not the same anymore. You're colder, more mature. Back then, I would make fun of you and beat you in spars and you would just tolerate it quietly, but the last time I did insulted, you knocked me out with one blow in a sparring match."

Hinata smiled minutely, and looked away. "Ah, well, I did have quite a lot of stress that day."

"And I've never won another spar after that day."

"Are you complaining, Hanabi?"

Hanabi fidgeted, before blurting, "You're not my onee-chan, at least not anymore. "

Hinata's soft smile seemed to crack a little. "Well, this is a warm wake-up call isn't it? Whatever can you mean, Hanabi?"

"I don't know what happened, but you're not the same. You act too old for a sixteen year old, you never talk to anyone for more than a few minutes at a time. Father hasn't noticed, but he never does. You've gotten better at Jyuken (Gentle Fist) since the Uzumaki Incident and that's all he cares about. But everyone else can tell, onee-chan! You're not happy. You're miserable, and you're wearing a mask to hide that!"

There was a long pause, and Hinata's smile dropped off her face. She seemed to sag slightly, and her beautiful porcelain face seemed weary and haggard. "You… What else can you see with that Byakugan (White Eye) of yours?" she whispered. Hinata suddenly stood up and made her way to the outside porch right outside her door.

"I'm fine, Hanabi. I'm sorry to worry you, but I'm completely fine." She said aloud, still not facing her younger sibling.

The elder Hyuga disappeared in a whirl of leaves, leaving Hanabi where she was, with a question still on her lips.

'But then why, onee-chan, why haven't you laughed since that Uzumaki kid died?'

0o0o0

(Konohagakure – Ichiraku Ramen Stand)

"Ulquiorra Cifer; the Cuarto Espada, the Blade of Emptiness and the Right Hand man of Sosuke Aizen, largest captured prisoner in the Seireitei." Teuchi hissed. "Why have you come to this place, and give me reason not to cut off your head right now.

Well then, not quite the welcome he was expecting.

The pale arrancar pushed past the Ramen Chef, ignoring the faint sparks the blade against his throat released as it skittered across his Hierro. He sat down on one of the stools, and waved his hand wearily.

"One Miso Ramen, extra Naruto and Pork, hold the vegetables." He chanted, bitterly remembering happier times as Naruto, when this was his daily routine. Sadly enough, no ramen was coming.

"Do you think this is a joke? I'm asking you why you've come here. This is a peaceful place, no Menos ever spawn here." Teuchi growled, putting his blade against Ulquiorra's throat again.

Said arrancar sighed. Maybe he would kill them; this was getting much too repetitive. He flared his reiatsu and both Father and Daughter were sent to their knees. He gently removed their Zanpakuto from them, and forcefully imbedded them into a wall, away from him.

"I mean no harm, Teuchi, at least not to you. Not yet, anyway. I've just come to visit old haunts. Now serve me Ramen, like old times." Ulquiorra sighed, leaning forward in his seat leisurely.

Teuchi struggled to his feet and snarled uncharacteristically. "And you expect me to believe that, Arrancar?" he spat, as if the term was a poisonous . "All that follows you is death and destruction. I've never spotted you in these lands. I've guarded these lands for millennia, Arrancar, and yet I've never seen you in these parts."

Ulquiorra groaned and snapped his chopsticks. He was seriously running out of patience with these two, but he couldn't kill them yet. He needed them. He stood up and made his way behind the stand, where he filched two of the leftover ramen before sitting back down.

"I've been here before, Teuchi, but in a far different form." He said, between slurps. Letting out a sigh, as he finished the bowl in record time, he leaned forward on the table and interlaced his fingers. "If Death and Destruction follow me, would it be so bad to wish otherwise for once?"

"Liar, if you wished to change your ways why would you slaughter Kurosaki Ichigo and kidnap Inoue Orihime?"

Ulquiorra took a deep breath and clasped his hands together, murmuring a small thanks, before starting on his second bowl of ramen. After a few minutes, he set his chopsticks down and turned his gaze towards Teuchi.

"Peace, Teuchi. I have neither killed shinobi nor shinigami. That that I've killed was for my survival only. What I did to Kurosaki was not slaughter, but a test. HE was like me, you see, long ago, and I tested him like I myself was tested. He succeeded where I failed. Tell me then, as you seem so knowledgable of the other world, how is the boy?"

Teuchi grunted and took a seat next to Ulquiorra, still glaring at the Arrancar, before speaking. "He is as well as can be expected."

Ulquiorra raised a pitch black eyebrow. "Explain."

The old Ramen Chef chuckled, "The boy managed to defeat Aizen, I hear, but lost his shinigami powers as a result. He lives his life as a normal human now, he cannot see spirits. A fair price, I would think."

Ulquiorra set down his bowl, now bereft of ramen, and sighed in some semblance of satisfaction.

"A fair price indeed, Teuchi-san. What I would have given for a chance such as his. Unfortunately, people like him will never be content. He will continue to seek his powers, and I pray he will succeed. It is far too early for him to fail now; I am not done with him. But enough about him." Ulquiorra murmured quietly, standing up and putting the bowl in the sink. "Tell me about another, a boy named Naruto."

Teuchi flinched and drew back as if slapped, before bristling angrily, his thoughts immediately jumping to false conclusions. "And why do you want to know about him? So you can defile his grave, the way Aizen defiled Soul Society?"

Ulquiorra paused for a second, staring at Teuchi's suddenly angry face, musing quietly at the old man's rage.

SMACK!

Teuchi hit the ground with a cry of pain, and Ulquiorra stood over him, drawing his sword.

"You misunderstand me, Teuchi." Ulquiorra growled quietly, his dull green eyes flashing. "This is not about me, but about you."

Teuchi scrambled backwards, towards a still Ayame, who was still paralyzed with fear. "What nonsense do you speak of?" he hissed, his voice steady, even through his anger and fear. Good for him.

The ebony haired Espada paused, taking a moment to stare at the pale yellow streaks in his hair, the streaks he had gotten after his fight with Naruto in the Inner World. His mouth turned down into an even deeper frown and he gently brandished his Zanpakuto back and forth.

"I've heard stories of the boy. Blond, brash, and stupid, but with a good heart. I've heard about how he would sacrifice his well-being for that of others.A boy much like Kurosaki. But above all…" Ulquiorra's arm twitched and his sword imbedded itself in the ground in front of him. "I've heard of how he was murdered by the same village he swore to protect. Why Teuchi?"

Teuchi flinched as the Espada's cold tone dredged up memories he had tried to forget. "I-I am not sure… I may have been because he attacked the Uchiha heir, or because he housed the Kyubi, but I'm not sure."

Ulquiorra sighed. "You misread me again. I couldn't care less for such reasons, foreign as they are to me. I ask not why he was killed, but why you allowed him to be killed. You are shinigami, that is your job, is it not? And if you couldn't stop him from death, why did you not keep him from being consumed as a hollow?"

"W-what?"

Ulquiorra stood up and unzipped his jacket, revealing the hole on his chest. He circled it lightly and tapped it gently. "You don't seem to have an answer for me, shinigami. Let me tell you something. If a person is murdered, the location of their hollow hole is where the deathblow came. Think on that, Shinigami. I will visit you again, rest assured, but I have more urgent things to discuss and you seem to be in no mood to listen. Your judgement will come another day."

With that hint said, Ulquiorra got out of his seat and ducked under the curtains of the Ramen Stand, squinting at the light. He knelt down and gently helped up a rather terrified Ayame.

"A shinigami, eh? I never would've guessed. Stick to Ramen, women. It's less troublesome that way." Ulquiorra murmured. He let go of her hand and gently pushed back into the Ramen stand, before zipping up his jacket and making his way to his next destination. Before he left though, he raised a hand in farewell, not bothering to turn back. He knew the duo was watching him.

"When you figure out the riddle of my existence, come seek me out."He said, before continuing on his path.

"W-wait!"

Ulquiorra froze and turned around slowly, glaring down at Teuchi, who had run out of the shop and had clasped the Espada's white robes. His anger was gone now, replaced with some pathetic desperation.

"H-how did you know that we couldn't perform Konso (Soul Burial) on him? Please, I'm begging you, do you know where Naruto is? How is he? Is he well?"

Ulquiorra silently pondered slapping the man again before roughly shaking his arm from the Ramen Chef's grip and dusting it off, ridding it of wrinkles. His emerald orbs seemed to sneer down at Teuchi, though his expression didn't change.

"He is as well as can be expected, Teuchi." The Espada replied evenly, dropping the –san honorific. "And he is furious, righteously so. Dredge up an excuse for your failure, shinigami, lest he decides you aren't worth keeping alive."

On that happy note, Ulquiorra resumed walking down the path and was quickly swallowed up by the crowd.

0o0o0

Teuchi frowned, creasing his already wrinkled face. This Ulquiorra wasn't like the one he had heard tell about from Yamamoto. That Ulquiorra was cold and unforgiving, and probably would've slaughtered him the moment Teuchi had placed his blade against his throat. Granted, he was plenty inhospitable, but aloofness didn't equate to the bloodlust he had heard about. What had changed?

"Ayame, do you know who that was?"

Ayame shivered and shook her head. "I… I'm not sure otou-san. His description matched Ulquiorra Cifer, but his actions were much more mild."She said, before shivering and drawing her arms closer to herself. "But his power was just as terrifying."

Teuchi sighed and moved to the back of the stand, where he began to prepare some tea for his terrified daughter. "You've never seen such power, have you? No menos ever appear here, after all. Things are going to get much more hectic around here."

"Otou-san, what do you think he meant by 'riddle of his existence'? He also talked about how he lived here in a different form."

The older man sighed and shook his head. He poured the finished tea into a ceramic cup and handed it to his daughter who accepted it gratefully. "Your guess is as good as mine, Ayame. It was odd though, now that you mention it. He seemed to know me."

Ayame took a sip of the tea and shuddered as the warmth spread through her body. She took out her Zanpakuto, which was still stuck in the wall, and stared at the blade. It was a simple blade at first glance, an Uchigatana. Its blade was curved slightly, more so than Teuchi's Zanpakuto, which took the form of a Katana, making it well-equipped for slashing and quick draws more than anything. It had a deep blue handle, cross-hatched by a pale golden grip. Its guard was not unlike the symbol of the long dead Uzushiogakure, a simple converging spiral. Even the blade itself seemed blued in the light and the Hamon, the pattern that separated the flexible black base from the sharpened edge, was unique, spinning and overlapping itself like the waves of the ocean.

"Do you remember when I first released my Shikai (Initial Release), otou-san?" Ayame said softly, moving the conversation away from their previous, less than warm, customer.

Teuchi smiled at Ayame, before taking out his own Zanpakuto from the wall and staring at the light blue pommel. "Yeah, it was a week after Naruto died, wasn't it? You trained yourself for days on end, repeating that it was your fault for being too weak, no matter how many times I tried to comfort you. I thought you were going to kill yourself trying, barely bothering to eat or sleep, but you finally pulled it off." Teuchi ran his finger down the Uchigatana's tip.

"Wasurenami, Forgotten Wave. You still miss him, don't you?" he asked quietly.

Ayame nodded quietly and took another sip of the tea. When she put her hands back down, Teuchi could see that her lower lip was trembling ever so slightly. He put a fatherly arm around her to comfort her.

"It was a horrible sight to see, Ayame, I'm glad I didn't let you go. Seeing him get killed like that, by his own teammate, an arm through his upper chest, it was horrible. And the brat still died with a smile on his face, crazy. Ah… did I say too much, Ayame?"

There was a crashing sound as Ayame dropped her teacup. The thick porcelain cup shattered into thousands of pieces, but Ayame paid it no mind. She had frozen, like a statue, though Teuchi could see her fingers trembling slightly. But as petrified as her body was, her mind was whirling with a myriad of thoughts, each more incoherent than the next. 'Hand through chest? Naruto?

Ayame stood up abruptly, brushing off her father's arm on her shoulder, and moving the shards of broken cup aside with her foot. She sheathed her Zanpukuto in an almost robotic manner. "Otou-san, I have to go."

Dead from wound? Hole in Chest?

Teuchi frowned at his daughter. What brought this sudden change in mood? "A-Ayame? What's wrong?"

Reborn as Hollow? Anger?

But Ayame shook her head and ducked under the Ramen shack's curtains. "I-I need to visit check something. Something's terribly wrong."

She ran out of the store, blurring away in the standard Shinigami Shunpo (Flash Step). Teuchi hung his head out the doorway and his face creased with worry. What was going on?

Ayame shot through the trees, running desperately towards the late blond's grave, hoping against hope that her guess was wrong, that it was just a simple fallicy rooted in her sorrow. But even as she ran, a single thought burned in her mind, repeating itself, over and over.

Ulquiorra? And Naruto? Could it be?'

0o0o0

Ulquiorra came out the book store with a sigh, squinting at the overhead sun. It was around three or four, he decided, and flipped open his book. His dull eyes skimmed over the pages as he began to think. The small bit of information he had gleaned from the owner of the store was useful, extremely so. He began to list what he knew in his head as he walked down the street.

One, Konoha was effectively a dictatorship, under Shimura Danzo's rule. He had never known much about the man, even as Naruto, and as Ulquiorra, little more had been obtained. To kill or not to kill? The pale Espada could care less about Konoha, but he wasn't yet sure if the man had had a hand in his death. Only time would tell.

Two, Tsunade, as well has Shizune, was being held in a Detention Cell, whereabouts yet unknown. Here too, Ulquiorra faltered. He would like to save Shizune, the girl was kind, but he was still unsure about Tsunade. Sure he had forgiven her before his death, but that was long before he knew what he was getting himself into. Naruto was still forgiving, but Ulquiorra far less so.

Three, The Konoha Eleven were the among the most respected ninja in the village, and they were well known for being kind-hearted, save for a certain Uchiha. All of them had made it to at least Chunin level, with Shikamaru, Neji, and Lee recently being promoted to Jonin. Ulquiorra had no qualms with any of them, except for Uchiha, but both sides of the spectrum, both him and the Eleven, would be hard-pressed in recreating the camaderie he had shared with them while he was Naruto. Of course, this was assuming they figured out his secret, which Ulquiorra wasn't keen on sharing anyway.

Four, Hinata...

RIP!

Ulquiorra looked down in surprise, staring at the hand, which out of its own accord had ripped a page out of the book. Shame, and the story was just reaching its climax. The pale Espada shook his head and cleared his mind of the lavender eyed Hyuga. He closed the book softly and stared at the cover.

Emblazoned with colorful lettering, with a large picture of the back of a blond boy, facing a mass of people smiling at him, in loud letters, it said,

The Tale of Uzumaki Naruto.

It was a wholly inaccurate story, depicting the story of a certain blond jinchuuriki, whose cheerful attitude and gained the trust and love of his village, finally managing to save his friend, who had defected from the village.

Ulquiorra snorted quietly and held up the book. Suddenly being filled with volatile reiatsu, the book burst into flames. The former shinobi threw the burning book away and the novel hit the trash can with a large clang. Ulquiorra spared the book one last glance before turning his back on it.

There was something else he could add to his list of things he knew. Jiraiya needed a long, long talk with him.

Brushing his hand across his hair, Ulquiorra sighed put his hand in his pockets, staring at the blue sky as he continued walking absently across the city, still trying to gather a coherent plan. Damnit, Naruto's recklessness was getting to him. Not to mention the fact that the Ichiraku's were shinigami threw quite the wrench in his plans. Stretching his back, Ulquiorra groaned and looked around, where was he anyway?

"HEY! Watch out!" a voice cried out from behind.

Tracking the voice's direction, Ulquiorra sidestepped the running boy and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar.

The boy grinned up at him, "Whoa, nice reflexes!"

Ulquiorra frozed and abruptly dropped him. Landing with a heavy 'oof!', the boy's grin quickly changed to a frown, "What was that for?"

Ulquiorra didn't answer, still staring at the boy at his feet in shock. He didn't think he'd see him so soon. Ulquiorra swallowed heavily, keeping his expression neutral the whole time through, and offered the boy a hand, "My apologies."

The boy grinned widely again, "No problem! Hey, by the way, my name is-"

"Ko-No-Ha-MARU!"

Konohamaru squealed in a rather unmasculine manner, and quickly clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Shitshitshitshit! She found me, quick old man, hide me!"

Ulquiorra blinked in surprise, before promptly picking the boy up and throwing through the window of what looked like an abandoned apartment. There was loud crash and a curse, but the pale Espada ignored it. He jumped up and sat on one of the tree branches near the building, waiting for the scene to unfold. Sure enough, a small black haired girl ran out from behind a corner, trailed by another boy and girl.

"Ano, Hanabi-chan, I don't think you should do this!" one of the girls, a kunoichi with her orange hair tied up into two large pigtails, protested.

Ulquiorra raised his eyebrow a fraction of a centimeter, this girl was Hinata's sister? The attitude certainly didn't fit, but now that he looked closer, it was clear she held a striking resemblace. Those white Byakugan eyes were a no-brainer.

"Yeah, that's right... I mean, Boss didn't mean any harm... right?" the boy drawled, wiping his running nose.

"Shut up! That idiot burst into my sister's room! It was a miracle that my sister had just left! How did he even get into the Hyuga Compound anyway!" Hanabi growled.

The brown haired boy and the other kunoichi exchanged a grin, "Are you going to kill him?" the orange haired girl asked seriously.

"What, no!" Hanabi protested, holding her hands up. "I just need to tell him the importance of staying away from the Hyuga Compound, Moegi. He is the late Hokage's grandson, but there's no telling what Father will do if he ever finds out that an outsider infiltrated us. And the idiot's sneaked into my sister's room at least five times now. He always brings a freaking bowl of ramen, like that makes it alright?!"

Moegi grinned and held up her hands placatingly, placing a hand on the roused Hyuga girl, "Calm down, Hanabi-chan. Man, you've changed a lot since we first saw you."

Wiping his nose with his hand again, the boy among the group raised his hand in agreement. "Yeah, you were really formal and stuff way back when. I actually preferred her to you."

"Shut up, Udon." Hanabi grumbled, "But yeah, I guess I was pretty awkward back then. I mean, Father would always drill the superiority of the Hyuga clan into me after my sister fell out of favor because of the Naruto boy, or Boss as you call him, and it was hard to keep that up. I was always supposed to be polite to everyone, enough to make acquaintances and allies, but not enough to make friends, because friends could always betray you for your clan secrets."

Udon and Moegi grinned at each other, knowing what came next in the story. "And then?" they chorused.

The youngest Hyuga smiled ruefully, "My sister beat the stuffing out of me during a spar, when I snapped at her and called her an idiot for not letting go of the village pariah. I felt so bad, both for breaking Hyuga protocol and losing to who I thought was a failure at the time, I ran out of the house after that. I don't even remember which way I ran, but I ended up in some forest, with a tombstone."

There was another grin, though this one was slightly tinged with sadness, "And then?"

"And then you two and Konohamaru came. You all came to pay your respects to 'Bossman', and then that big idiot comforted me."

"And then?"

"And then I beat the pants of him in a spar and felt better." Hanabi said quietly, smiling to herself.

"And then?"

She frowned, "What do you mean, and then? That's the end of the story."

Moegi shook her head, "What about the part where you told him how you were worried about Hinata-dono, and he said he would make her happier for Bossman-"

Udon jumped in, "And the part where you started to have a crush on him. That's the most important part."

"W-what no! That's not it!" Hanabi yelled loudly, putting her hands to her cheeks to cover the crimson blush. "I'm just-"

"Hey guys... Come over here..." A loud, but quavering voice said from the broken window of the apartment. Konohamaru's head popped out from behind window, but his radiant grin was nonexistent now, and he looked like he was about to cry.

"Konohamaru?" Hanabi asked, concerned at the sudden change in mood from the Konohamaru she had been chasing minutes ago. "Are you alright?"

Konohamaru ducked his head down and turned back into the house. His voice drifted out from the window, "I... I think I found Boss' old house..."

Ulquiorra fell out of the tree.

0o0o0

(Meanwhile - Somewhere around Konoha)

Ayame bit her lip, looking from side to side for any sign of Ulquiorra; a white cloak, a green katana, anything. She sighed morosely and blurred out in Shunpo (Flash Step) again. She had practically made a loop around Konoha. Where on earth could he possibly be?

There was a loud crash and a squawk of indignation only a few blocks down from her position, which meant it was only a few blocks down from Ichiraku's. Ayame, with no other lead, shunpoed to the noise.

As buildings blurred past her, Ayame's thoughts began to race again, once again brainstorming any possible places where Ulquiorra, no Naruto, would visit. His grave? No, there was no way he would know where it is. Ichiraku's? Been there, had done that. Killing Danzo? There weren't any fireworks and screaming so probably not. Naruto's house? No, it was too-Wait, what? That was it!

Ayame swerved violently to avoid running into a tree, and she looked around for her target. There was a crash from the ground and a group of birds flew out from a bush under the tree she had almost ran into. She must've startled some sort of animal, a raccoon maybe?

Tearing her attention away from the fallen raccoon, Ayame realized with a start that she was staring Naruto's old home. This was where the crash had occured. She clenched her fist at the broken window, how dare anyone try to vandalize Naruto's home?!

"WHAT?! Seriously, Boss' home?!" A loud high-pitched voice cried out. Ayame looked down in surprise to see a trio of two girls and one boy and relaxed. It seemed that Naruto's old "disciples" had finally found their master's old home. The young Shinigami didn't know how to feel about that. They would certainly feel saddened, at the least.

Konohamaru's voice drifted from the window. "Yeah, it looks like nobody's been here in forever, with all this dust everywhere. Wow... look at these orange jumpsuits. They're so ugly... They're so cool... So this is how you lived, Naruto-nii."

Smiling sadly, Ayame blurred out in a burst of speed. Evidently Ulquiorra wasn't there and the brown haired beauty was loathe to interrupt their time of reminiscing. Maybe she would visit Hinata and ask if she had seen anyone odd walking around the village. She and the girl had become quick friends, connected by their lost loved ones. Her Byakugan would be a great asset.

What would Hinata think of Ulquiorra being Naruto, if the pale, cold Arrancar did happen to be Naruto?

0o0o0

Sighing heavily, Ulquiorra pulled an acorn out of his hair. He turned from side to side, making sure no one had seen his undignified fall and brushed leaves from his bone white tunic. He coughed embarrassedly and none too gently smacked the butt of his sword, who was silently laughing at his sake.

"Be silent, there is no reason to laugh." Ulquiorra grumbled.

He jumped up and in a flash of static, was crouched on the balcony of his old home. Thankfully, the quartet of kids hadn't noticed him yet. He gazed at the cramped room, drinking in images from years past. The same teapot used to cook ramen, the same creaky bed, even the same cheap nightcap.

"To think that I forgot all of this..." Ulquiorra mumbled to himself. Silently, he jumped down from the balcony and made his way to the center of the room. "It holds both good and bad memories. A painful place."

Noiselessly, like a wraith, Ulquiorra seemed to glide along the dusty floor, clearing a small streak where he tread. He leaned over the four kids and grabbed one of his orange jumpsuits. With a start of surprise, Konohamaru stared at surprise at the sudden newcomer. Ulquiorra stared coolly back, before studying the uniform again.

"Orange, such an unsightly color."

"WHOA! When did you get here, old man!" Konohamaru shouted, scrambling backwards and running into Udon, who subsequently tumbled backwards.

Hanabi quickly got into the standard Jyuken (Gentle Fist) stance, glaring at the cold man in front of her. He managed to completely escape my Byakugan... "Who are you?! How did you get in here?"

Ulquiorra peered at her, his emerald eyes revealing nothing, until the Hyuga hieress fidgeted nervously. His hands blurred into action, and Hanabi flinched backwards.

"The window." he said calmly, his hand pointing at the shattered glass. "The window that your leader over there so carelessly broke."

"Wait, what?! That was you, you threw me in here you sonova-"

"Konohamaru!" Moegi scolded, before bowing coyly at the pale Espada. "Ah, sir, did you know Naruto-taicho?"

Konohamaru jumped in at that, "Yeah, old man, did you know Boss?"

Ulquiorra, for his part, pushed them back with the palm of his hand, a obvious look of weariness on his face. He sat on the bed, and picked up a dust covered picture from the bedside table. He brushed his hand alongside the front of it, to reveal a picture of Team 7. Back when it was innocent. The glaring faces of Naruto and Sasuke, two mutual rivals, the widely grinning visage of one Haruno Sakura, and the tired but optimistic smirk of Kakashi.

"A long time ago... In happier times." Ulquiorra murmured. He stood up slowly and dropped the picture frame, watching it fall. It shattered on the floor with a crash and the quartet of genin flinched in surprise.

"What was that for?!" Konohamaru yelled. "That was Boss' precious memories!"

"Memories? I assure you he has no need for such memories. Let me ask you, Sarutobi Konohamaru, which do you love more, Konoha, the village that gave you your name, or Naruto, the man who gave you your Nindo (Ninja Way)?"

"W-what kind of question is that? Bossman loved Konoha, and Gramps loved Konoha, and since I love both of them, I love Konoha."

"Is that so..." Ulquiorra murmured quietly. The pale Espada made his way to the doorway before turning around and fixing his gaze on each of the four ninja.

"Reminisce for a while longer, but prepare yourself. Your loyalty will be tested, Sarutobi. A maelstrom is coming; take care not to let it swallow you."

There was a flash of emerald light and they were forced to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes again, Ulquiorra was gone, and the picture at their feet was a pile of ashes.

"Konohamaru-kun?" Hanabi asked shakily.

"...Yeah?"

"Did you ever tell that guy your last name?"

"..."

0o0o0

(Konohagakure - Random Tea House)

"So that's the whole story." Ayame finished.

Hinata finished brushing her hair and slid open the door to the Tea House. "That is it? This Ulquiorra is an old enemy of your clan, who appeared in Konoha, saying he is no longer a bad person. And now you want me to find him."

Ayame scratched her head and chuckled lightly, putting down her cup of tea, "Well, if you put it like that, it makes me seem like some kind of free-loader, asking you for help. It's a little more complex than that. Like I'm pretty certain he's not innocent by any chance, but he probably won't harm me or you."

Hinata stepped outside and closed her eyes, drinking in the rays of the sun. "Me? Do I know him, by any chance?"

Ayame coughed and made a substantial offering to the gods of the spit-take. "W-what? N-no! Of course not, you've never seen him before!"

"Hinata smiled slightly as Ayame yelped and tried to clean the puddle of tea at her feet, apologizing profusely to the stout, cranky women in charge of the shop. "Oh, I see. Shall we get going then, it's not going to get any earlier."

Ayame bowed one more time in apology and hurried out after Hinata. After a few minutes, Ayame turned to Hinata, "You know, Hinata."

"Hmm?"

"You've changed a lot. You're prettier now."

Hinata smiled and tilted her head graciously towards Ayame. "Why thank you, Ayame-nee."

Ayame smiled back before staring at the crowd intently again. Still staring at the crowd, Ayame asked, "Still though, you changed a lot and not only looks either."

Hinata's smile grew a bit strained, "Whatever could you mean?"

"Like that," Ayame said, pointing vaguely at Hinata while still searching the crowd. "You talk way too formally, even to me. You didn't used to do that. And you're not shy at all anymore."

Hinata smiled again, though that too seemed a bit strained. "Well, I grew out of being shy."

"Not only that." Ayame pointed out. "You don't show much emotion either. Always smiling, never laughing. That's not normal, you know. I mean, after like a month after Naruto-kun died, the only time you actually cry or show real emotion is in front of his grave."

Hinata's lavender eyes seemed to harden and she looked away. "... I know that. Everyone knows that. Even Hanabi told me today that something was off about me." she said in a strangled tone.

Ayame looked back at Hinata. Her's eyes widened in surprise. Who knew her offhand comments would actually upset the pale-eyed Hyuga? She placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, "Hey, lighten up. I didn't mean it in a bad way. It doesn't matter how you change, you're still Hinata right?"

The lavender eyed Hyuga smiled, and this time, the smile reached her eyes. "Yeah."

The duo fell into a companionable silence, with Hinata silently fingering the jewel on her necklace. Ayame cleared her throat and asked nervously,

"So, uh, how's your Byakugan holding up?"

Hinata smiled kindly at Ayame before frowning slightly. "Not a thing. I can't sense anything out of the ordinary. Then again, who's not to say that this Ulquiorra fellow has civilian level chakra. You did mention that he probably has high reiatsu, the spiritual energy that you shinigami have, and the Byakugan can't detect that."

"Shhhh! That shinigami business is top secret! Your the only person that I told it too, and even that was a breach of protocol!" Ayame hissed.

The Hyuga patted the substitute shinigami on the back lightly and turned to a civilian, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Excuse me, sir. Could you help me?"

The older man jumped at the sudden touch and, realizing the owner of the hand was none other than a member of the Hyuga clan. "Ah! Hyuga-san! Yes, whatever you need."

Hinata waved a hand airily, "Please, enough with the honorifics. My name is Hinata." She ignored the small start of surprise as the man realized that she was the heiress of the Hyuga clan. " I must ask you, have you seen a strange fellow roaming the streets recently? Black hair streaked with gold, pure white clothing, and a broken piece of helmet on his head. My friend here also says he has eyes of the coldest emerald.

Please." Hinata tacked on, as if the plea was more an afterthought.

The man clapped his hands together. "Ah yes! My friend, Hiroshi, owns a bookstore down the street. Are you familiar with it?"

Ayame wrinkled her nose. "Too familiar. That store's famous for its supply of lewd books."

The man fidgeted nervously before continuing, "That aside, the man you speak of came in around an hour ago and bought a book before asking a few questions."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, "Really, what questions did he ask?"

"You know, I don't think he was from here." the man postulated, bringing a hand up to stroke his growing beard in what he obviously thought was a mysterious manner. "He asked the type of questions no native here would ask. Asked about Hokage-sama and Tsunade-sama. Still not sure why she's locked up, but it must've been a damn good reason." The man's browline wrinkled further, trying to wring out any details he may have forgotten.

"Anything else?" Ayame asked.

His eyebrows cleared and he raised a finger in a mock epiphany. "Ah, yes! One more, he asked about the 'Konoha 11', as they call them these days. He seemed to veer away from the subject whenever your name came up Hinata-sama. Oh, it was subtle, not many would've caught it, but when your wife is the biggest gossip-hen in the city, you tend to learn a few things." the man chuckled, tapping his ears and winking like the two of them shared some kind of secret.

"Please, I'm sure the rest of the male population feels the same way about their spouse." Ayame scoffed quietly to herself.

"Hmmm, interesting. He avoided talking about me, did he?"

"Oh yes. His eyes didn't change though, still as cold as they were when he first walked in ot the shop. He must know you personally, Hyuga-san, either as an ally or an enemy. Speaking of enemies, he did ask about that blond jinchuuriki that was put to death three years ago."

Hinata stiffened. "What did he ask?"

The man shrugged, oblivious to the Hinata's tense body language. "What I thought about the lad. Said what any person would tell him, that he deserved to die and that the village was more peaceful without it. Maybe it was just be, but the air around him seemed a lot more hostile."

Ayame growled at that. "Why yo-"

Hinata put a hand on her arm and bowed deeply. "Thank you for assistance."

The old man chuckled, "No problem, Hyuga-san. It was my pleasure. After all, you're not like that blond freak, right?"

Hinata smiled coldly at him and quickly moved away from him.

Ayame hissed at her, "Why didn't you let me cut him!? If I were in my shinigami form, he wouldn't have even been able to see me!"

The Substitute Shinigami suddenly took a step back in fright and surprise.

For the first time in three years, or at least the first time that she had seen, Hyuga Hinata had a look of rage on her face.

"Because if any attack occured, it would've been by me."

"...Right."

0o0o0

(Unknown Location)

"Are we all gathered? Kisame?"

"Yeah."

"Itachi."

"..."

"Hidan."

"The fuck are we having another mee-"

"Kakuzu."

"Hn."

"Zetsu."

"Hai, Leader-sama."

"...Tobi."

"Yes! Tobi is-"

"And Konan is here with me. Sasori is dead, as is Deidara, am I correct? Zetsu."

"Ah, yes. Sasori is confirmed to be dead, his body has been taken by Suna to be used as a puppet. Deidara, though; no body has been confirmed so we cannot rule him out just yet."

"And so a place in this group is left bare by his absence. We must find another member. Itachi."

"...Hai.."

"The man responsible for Sasori's death. Ulquiorra, was it? He is confirmed to be heading towards Konohagakure by Zetsu. Pay a visit to your old home, will you?"

"Of course..."

"His strength will be a valuable asset or a grave hinderance. Either recruit him, or kill him."

"I understand."

"The rest of you have your own missions. Konan, would you accompany Tobi in capturing the Yonbi?"

"Lord, I am supposed to stay in-"

"It will be fine. Come back quickly."

"...Yes."

"This meeting is adjourned. Remember your mission, Itachi."

"..."

"Ha, the bastard already left! Quick one isn't he?"

"..Shut up, Hidan."

0o0o0

(Forest of Death - Gravestone)

Ulquiorra stabbed his Zanpakuto into the dirt and bowed deeply at the gravestone in front of him. It was an odd feeling, both seeing your own gravestone and paying respect to yourself. Ulquoirra squatted in front of it and traced the markings on the stone, whispering them quietly to himself.

Here lies Uzumaki Naruto.

A hero among heroes.

Misunderstood, but never forgotten.

My Brother, my son, my friend.

Ulquiorra's lips turned down ever so slightly and he put his hand on his sternum, lightly encircling his hollow hole.

"...Tch, such sentimentality." he murmured to himself, unable to take his eyes off the tombstone. He bit his lip and wrenched his eyes away, closing them, hiding them from the sight in front of him.

"Such unnecessary sentimentality." he repeated, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself this time around. He stood up, brushing the dirt off his white robe, when he noticed a bowl of ramen next to him.

"Odd. It's still steaming."

The former shinobi picked up the bowl and gently snapped in two the wooden chopsticks. He sniffed the aroma of the cooked noodles and his downturned lips quirked upwards imperceptibly. Ah, ramen. There was even chashu pork in this one, like the ones he used to eat back in the day. He quickly slurped, I mean, daintily consumed a fourth of the noodles and sat back, leaning his back on the tombstone. Ulquiorra took another bite of the noodles, this time focusing on fishing the naruto (fish cake) out, and organized his thoughts.

He hated to admit it, but nothing but pure nervousness kept him from approaching the Hyuga household and searching for Hinata. He was torn between himself, in a manner quite unlike any he had seen before. The Naruto inside him was dead set on reuniting with the girl, while the Ulquiorra outside was loathe to do so. After all, for all intents and purposes, Naruto was dead to this world, and the sooner everyone believed this to be so, the better. She would have to wait.

No, the main plan here was Senju Tsunade and her escape. She was not the main point here though. Her freedom would certainly draw in Jiraiya, and this Espada needed answers from the old pervert. What to do, what to do?

A thought struck Ulquiorra, and the Arrancar almost choked on the noodles. Raising the bowl to his lips, Ulquiorra inhaled the broth and when he put the concoction down, the barely-there smile had become an almost-there smile.

It was so simple, it was almost laughable. Why create some elaborate plan? He had done that last time against a certain Kurosaki Ichigo and it ended with his own death. It was time to take a page out of Nnoitra's book. First he would-

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?! That's for Boss!" a voice shouted.

Ulquiorra calmly turned his head to face a familiar quartet of genin and took another sip of the savory broth. "So we meet again."

Konohamaru took a step back in slight surprise, he didn't expect to see this pale stranger again. Quickly regaining his bluster though, the young shinobi shook his hand in anger, "Meet again, my ass! What are you think you're doing?!"

Hanabi quickly put a hand on Konohamaru's shoulder, calming him down slightly, but Ulquiorra could tell that she, that all of them, had more than a modicum of wariness. Good for them.

"Last time I checked, eating ramen." Ulquiorra deadpanned, fishing for the last remnents of noodles floating around. " Your 'Boss' doesn't seem to have use for them, seeing as he's dead, so I decided to help myself."

"Why you, I oughta-"

"Konohamaru, shut up!" Hanabi yelled. Having suitably chastened the older boy, she turned to face the mysterious ramen eating man in front of her.

"Sir, I'm sure you meant no disrespect, but that ramen was an offering to the late Uzumaki Naruto and, as you know, an offering isn't to be eaten." she said, taking on the polite tone she would use when she talked to adults.

"And what do you care, Hyuga?" Ulquiorra intoned, purposely adding a slight drawl to his voice to annoy her. "I've heard tell that your sort stays away from scum like this. What are you doing visiting the grave of a traitor?"

Hanabi bit her lip and her fist clenched of her own accord. "He wasn't a traitor! It wasn't his fault! It was that Uchiha's!"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow in surprise. Interesting, the girl took after her sister more that he thought. "Really, then why does the Hyuga slander this boy's.." He tapped the tombstone with the end of his chopsticks. ".. name then?"

Hanabi fidgeted nervously, obviously unable to answer the question without dishonoring either her sister or her family. Thankfully, Konohamaru stepped in.

"That has nothing to do with it, you still haven't told us why you're eating Naruto-nii's food." he said evenly, trying to hold back his anger.

Ulquiorra put the empty bowl down and clapped slowly. "Well done boy, learned to speak without cursing every few sentences have we?" he said cynically, his emerald eyes silently guaging each one's reactions. "As for why... why can't an weary traveler eat some of his friend's food?"

There was a long silence as the sentence sunk in. The resulting explosion was as deafening as he had expected.

"WHAT?!-"

"FRIEND?!-"

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

"YOU KNEW BOSS!?"

The former shinobi groaned silently and massaged his temples. He raised his hand over the din, and sure enough, they ignored him, instead massing around him to ask frantic questions. One.. at a time. The tired remark died in his throat, swallowed by the kids' excited chatter. Fortunately for him, the Hyuga of the group had managed to keep her senses about her.

"Uh, guys?" she asked hesitantly. "We're not all that sure he's telling the truth remember?"

And like that, they were all off of him, leaving him slightly offended. He gave small nod in her direction, thanking her for the breathing room.

"What was his birthday, his favorite food, his blood type, and his big dream?" Konohamaru shot out rapidly.

"October 10, the date of Kura- Kyubi's attack, his favorite food was Miso Ramen with naruto and chashu pork, though any type from Ichiraku's was okay, Blood Type B, and his dream was to be Hokage; I say 'was', because I doubt he would want to be Hokage of such a wretched nation."

The members of Team Ebisu and Hanabi exchanged glances, still looking unsure.

"He was the jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, if that'll convince you." Ulquiorrd added on.

Without skipping a beat, Konohamaru asked him, "So how do you know nii-san?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and leaned back on the tombstone. "He's an old friend. I knew him since he was born, and everything about him. I was his best friend and his worst enemy. He never talked about me to anyone else because... well let's just say I didn't 'exist' then. I was there when he died too, a place where you weren't."

"That..." Konohamaru hesitated. What could he say? He was preparing the grave?

Ulquiorra stared at each of them in turn before sighing. "I'm sure he wouldn't hold it against you, though. You had no power to save him anyway. Others though..."

"Oh, it's Konohamaru-kun! What a coincidence, are you here to pay your respects too?"

Konohamaru turned to face the newcomers and grinned, "Oh hey, Ayame-nee and Hinata-nee, how're you doing? We just found this odd person here. Told us that he knew Naruto-nii."

Ayame cocked her head, "Knew Naruto-kun? Who's that?"

Ulquiorra glared at the substitute shinigami, cursing himself for being caught off guard. "... Hello there, Ichiraku-san." he said in his standard emotionless voice. "You're looking quite a bit more happier than when I first saw you. Have you thought of an excuse for your failure yet?"

Ayame gasped and, legs failing her, collasped on the ground. "Ulquiorra-san.. No, Naruto-san."

Konohamaru frowned, "What're you talking about Ayame-nee?"

Ignoring the younger boy, Ulquiorra frowned grimly and picked up his sword. "Well then, you've figured out the answer my riddle. Now riddle me this, what did the shinigami say when the hollow asked why he died?"

"I-I don't know! I'm sorry, Naruto-sa-"

"Don't call me that!" Ulquiorra snapped, raising his voice for the first time. "Naruto is dead, my name is Ulquiorra!" He unzipping the front of his jacket, revealing the hole in his chest to Ayame. "This is what you did to me!"

"This is Ulquiorra-san? You gave me the impression he was cold and calculating, Ayame, but the man here seems rather emotional." a new voice said from behind him.

Ulquiorra froze.

"You called him Naruto, Ayame-nee. Why?"

Ayame visibly fidgeted under the girl's gaze. "Ah, it's nothing. I was just hallucinating."

Ulquiorra looked at his sword hand to find it shaking slightly. He frowned and grabbed it with his free hand to steady it and took a deep breath. So much for staying away from her.

"Really now. You should see a doctor, that isn't healthy." There was a pause. "Or you could tell the truth. You were never a very good liar, Ayame-nee. And you, Ulquiorra-san. Won't you turn and face me, I would like to see the face of the one that has piqued the interest of my friend, and it seems my sister's as well."

Hanabi flinched and waved weakly. "Hey there, nee-san. Are you angry?"

The voice behind him hesitated. "I-I'm not sure, Hanabi. I'm not happy, though. I am irked that Naruto-kun's offering has been defiled, but hopeful, in a way, because Ayame-nee seems to have found a link to Naruto-kun that I overlooked."

Ulquiorra bit his tongue and slowly turned to face the newcomer. He gave a wan smile, one that could have easily been missed in his otherwise stoic face, but one that she recognized immediately and found strangely familiar. The normally impassive Espada swallowed hard and spoke.

"It has been far too long Hyuga Hinata." he said, managing to keep his voice from croaking. He ignored the small gasp that erupted from the Hyuga hieress' mouth when she laid eyes on the hole in his chest. "Tell me, Konoha's Detention Center, how would you like to set fire to it?"

0o0o0

(Sunagakure - Kazekage's office)

"WHAT?!" Gaara cried, slamming his hands on his desk in an uncharacteristic display of emotion "Are you sure, Kankuro?"

Kankuro paced back and forth, grabbing his head with one of his hands, "I'm positive, Gaara. There's no mistake about it."

Temari ran a hand through her hair, which she had let down from the customary ponytails. She was the most relaxed of the four, though the constant tapping of her finger on her fan was proof that she too was distressed. "There's no way, Kankuro. You must've been mistaken."

Baki looked out the window, staring at the drab sands of the desert, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Your sister's right, Kankuro. What you're proposing is absurd, there's no way any living creature could survive with such an injury. It was a battle hallucination."

Kankuro grabbed his head and ground his teeth. "Why don't you believe me?! I know what I saw! It wasn't any battle hallucination. The man had a hole in his chest!"

Temari's brows creased in concern at her brother's upset behavior. She opened her mouth to speak when Gaara raised his hand to silence her.

"Kankuro." Gaara said. When his older brother ignored him and kept pacing back and forth, the Kazakage raised his voice again. "Kankuro!"

"What, Gaara?" Kankuro asked, his eyes still angry at the lack of belief that the others had in his words.

"Perhaps you are right, maybe this man, the man that saved me, had a hole in his chest. And maybe, by some divine coincidence, that hole on his sternum, where the would Naruto was said to have been. But even with those facts, what you're trying to say is crazy, Kankuro! There is no coming back from death, and there certainly is no such thing as being reincarnated in your own timeline. I know you miss him, I do too, but there's just no way!"

"ARGH! You don't understand, Gaara, you weren't there, you weren't awake!" Kankuro yelled. "He KNEW you, he said he was your close friend! He risked his life for you, and when Chiyo-sama didn't have enough chakra to finish her jutsu, he volunteered his own to complete it without a second thought. He had civilian level chakra, Gaara! The jutsu could've easily killed him, but he did it anyway! Tell me anyone, ANYONE, you know or knew that would do that for you other than Naruto."

Gaara sat down and massaged his temples, his normally aloof face creased with worry and confusion. "Damnit, what's going on?"

The whole room was silent now, save for the constant pacing of Kankuro. Each person was locked deep within their own thoughts, thinking of possibilities and what-ifs that just may be true.

"He... he has a point." Temari admitted reluctantly, still tapping a nervous beat on the butt of her fan. "I was there too, when Chiyo-sama saved you. The Ulquiorra fellow looked at you with more compassion than he did with any of us. Granted, his face was granite-cold most of the time, so it was hard to tell, but he cared for you, Gaara. And the only person that cared for you that much, other than us, was Naruto."

"I know that, Temari..." Gaara said, still holding his head in his hands. "But still, this whole situation... It's too insane to be true, but too convenient to be a coincidence."

Baki turned from the window and laid a reassuring hand on Gaara. "If I may state my own opinion." he asked.

"Go on." Gaara answered.

"I would go to Konoha myself to make good of this claim, Gaara. I can take care of Suna for a few weeks without too much trouble, and this little piece of information, if it is true, could mean a whole revolution of change, especially for Konoha."

"This is unreal!" Temari cried, standing up. "Gaara has a country to run, Baki-sensei! He can't just abandon it because of some rumor that isn't likely to be true anyway! If Ulquiorra truly wanted to see us, if NARUTO truly wanted to see us, he would've stayed after you woke up and told us the truth. That he didn't meant that he didn't want to see us!"

"Maybe he was just busy, Temari!" Kankuro shot back. "He could come back later, maybe he had things left to do back at Konoha, like talk to the rest of Konoha 11 and free Tsunade-sama! Maybe he just couldn't face us after all those years, especially in a different form! Did you even think about that?!"

"Exactly! When he's finished with his business and he's ready, he'll visit us. I don't want to be a burden on him by forcing ourselves on him when he's not ready to see us." Temari said, starting to become just as distressed as Kankuro.

"ENOUGH!" Gaara yelled loudly, grabbing both of his siblings in sand. "I abandoned Naruto once already when he needed me most and I'm not about to do it again! I've made up my mind, so shut up and listen!"

"...Yes, Kazekage-sama." Temari and Kankuro chorused.

"Baki, I need you to maintain Suna and act under my stead. Temari, stay with him, you're the best with the matters involving diplomacy, even more that I am."

"What! If we're making any visit to Konoha, I want to come. I'm not going to be the one to miss seeing Naruto-kun again!"

"Temari, please." Gaara groaned, "Just hear me out. I want you two, Baki-sensei and Temari to contact the new Mizukage and form an alliance with them. Any kind will do, it doesn't have to permanent. Just mention Konoha and they'll jump on the offer. We'll need some protection after this plan."

Temari frowned and struggeled against her sandy bounds. "What're you planning, Gaara?"

"You'll see. Kankuro's the one with the most experience with this new Naruto, this Ulquiorra, so he'll come with me."

"Wait, what are we doing?" Kankuro asked, struggling against his own binds in a similar manner to Temari.

"The two of us? We're going to Konoha, and if Ulquiorra needs any help taking revenge on the place, we'll burn it with him."

"...What?! And I'm not coming!? Baki-sensei can go to the Mizukage himself, I'm coming!"

"Temari, please..."


Chapter Complete.

Not much action here, but this was more of a buildup chapter, with Ulquiorra meeting most of the main/minor characters of the story.

For some reason, Ulquiorra didn't seem sad at all to me when I reread this chapter, just angry and really really cynical. Ah well, I think you guys prefer an angry and sarcastic Ulquiorra to a sad and depressed one. He did show more emotion than in the other chapters though that emotion wasn't so readily outwardly portrayed.

I was surprised at how Hinata turned out, honestly. She's really different from all the Hinata's I've read about, both the canon one and the fanfic ones. This one's not all emo and depressed like the other Hinata's in fics like this and not shy and wimpy like the canon one. I felt that Hinata would grow out of the shyness after Naruto died and would quickly get past the emo-ness, especially since it's not her character to be like that (that's Sasuke's job) and she would probably realize that it wasn't what Naruto wanted for her. Still, she changed a lot. Reminds me of a princess, the dainty way she talks 0_o what have I created?! What do you peeps think of this Hinata? Hate her, love her? Tell me!

Not really sure what to say now. Uh, you probably know what's going to go down next chapter. How was it?

OHOHOH Please take a look at my Profile and vote on the poll on what kind of Fic I should write next! It would mean a lot to me!

Follow, Favorite, Review! It only takes one click! ...Or three, or four, depending on how much you like this chapter... which is a lot, right?

Happy Thanksgiving!